Véronique Branquinho had a young Bob Dylan in mind when she was designing her latest men's collection. The walls of her showroom were lined with photos of a Dylan look-a-like, and the racks were hung with clothes whose narrow silhouette and amphetamine-sharp detailing recalled Bob at his mid-'60s spiffiest.

But Branquinho was also looking to play with some contradictions. So her business-y striped shirt came in silk, not cotton, and was just too bright to be conservative. Similarly, closer observation revealed that the pinstriped trousers it was worn with were actually jeans. There was a proper pinstriped suit, but it was paired with a shirt in a tropical hibiscus print too dark to be truly summery (some incongruous military detailing pushed the sense of dislocation further).

Some of Branquinho's contrasts were subtle (like a trench coat that closed with buttons and a zipper), but some weren't—sweats with a blazer, for instance, or a machine-washable evening suit. The overall effect was of a nonchalant dressiness.